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Dean of Identity | Mr Charles Brauer
“Love or fear”
Silence filled the Campbell Centre on two significant occasions this week. Both occasions were to reflect on the Christchurch tragedy of last Friday. Both occasions provided us with some time and space to consider our personal and communal response to this horrific event. It became clearer that we have two choices – love or fear.
Tuesday’s Feast of St Joseph Day provided our community the opportunity to come together to explore the true meanings we can extract from the stories of Joseph’s life as foster-father of Jesus. We explored the concepts of courage, humility and love and how each of us can enact these qualities with strengthening our Terrace Family and our world community.
As we gathered in community to recognise our foundation story, the story of St Joseph, we also took time to recognise the Christchurch community who are seeking ways to cope with the tragedy of last Friday. Often, when our friends, our family, our brothers and our sisters are struggling, we also feel their struggle. It is deeply human to be affected by the struggles of others.
To symbolise our solidarity with all those affected by last week’s tragedy, our students and staff were invited to offer messages of support and prayed together for our resolve to be strengthened with advocating for a peaceful and tolerant society. These messages of support will be sent to our fellow Edmund Rice school, St Thomas of Canterbury, Christchurch and the Islamic College of Brisbane. We hope they may represent our commitment to ensuring an inclusive and welcoming society, including within our school communities.
In better understanding our personal and communal response to the tragedy of last week, well-known Australian cartoonist, writer and poet Michael Leunig starkly describes our choices in life, particularly when facing a personal or social challenge. Let us pray that our response, both personal and as a society, is rooted in love and not fear.
There are only two feelings.
Love and fear.
There are only two languages.
Love and fear.
There are only two activities.
Love and fear.
There are only two motives,
Two procedures, two frameworks,
Two results.
Love and fear.
Love and fear.
By Michael Leunig
On behalf of our Terrace Family, I would like to extend our heartfelt sympathies to and all those, directly and indirectly affected by last Friday’s tragedy. Please know we join with you as brothers and sisters in trying to come to terms with all that has happened and all that is hoped for into the future.